Why nike & babolat shoes arent good

to me, nike and babolat shoes are just for the looks, they are clearly the best looking shoes out, but the main question is, are they gonna hold up? i have experience with both brand of shoes and i will tell you, i wont buy another pair again. i had the babolat propulse 2 white and i havent even had those shoes for 6 months and they were so horribly messed up. i had two huge holes in both shoes. nike shoes, ive heard that they are very snug fit, and for me i dont like tem snug fit. i had nike shoes and they were horribly messed up as well. i had one hole in the right shoe. nike an babolat srent good shoes to buy. they are also so expensive just because they have so much incorporated in the shoe. think twice the next time you buy nike or babolat shoes.

to me, nike and babolat shoes are just for the looks, they are clearly the best looking shoes out, but the main question is, are they gonna hold up? i have experience with both brand of shoes and i will tell you, i wont buy another pair again. i had the babolat propulse 2 white and i havent even had those shoes for 6 months and they were so horribly messed up. i had two huge holes in both shoes. nike shoes, ive heard that they are very snug fit, and for me i dont like tem snug fit. i had nike shoes and they were horribly messed up as well. i had one hole in the right shoe. nike an babolat srent good shoes to buy. they are also so expensive just because they have so much incorporated in the shoe. think twice the next time you buy nike or babolat shoes.

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Tennis courts are like the roughest sandpaper and they will mess up tennis shoes. You are not just walking on tennis courts, you are running, starting, stopping, sliding, maneuvering, etc. Tennis shoes experience more stress than just about any other shoes. I don't understand why anyone expects their tennis shoes to last even 6 months. Even avid runners will get new running shoes every couple of months.

There have been innumberable complaints about Nike shoes on this forum, but if people accept poor quality why would they improve?

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There are more complaints about Nike shoes because more people wear them. It's just statistics. You have to look at the percentage of people who wear Nike shoes that complain about them, not just at raw numbers.

Nike shoes are comfortable shoes but lack of durability. I have not wear Babolat shoes but I know people that cannot wear anything else.

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For nike, it depends on the model you chose I presume.
Previous vapors, especially the 5, were very solid. Lasted more than 2 years playing with 2 pairs almost everyday. For the new models, I really dont know, maybe it's the use of plastic or synthetic leather that makes them so fragile...

and I think there is break in period as most people suggest in any nike shoes.

I agree with Breakpoint, tennis is really hard on shoes. When I played a lot in my youth if I got even 4 months out of shoes I was doing well. Now I get 6 or more months and I'm fine with that. If I find a model I really like I buy them in 2 or 3 colourways and they can last almost 2 years.

I don't think I'd get significantly more wear out of another brand and I'm not worried really. Maybe if I was a teen/student I'd worry more about durability. How a he shoes look matters a fair bit to me since I wear them casually also. Nike do really well in that regard.

For years I avoided Nike just because I couldn't find anything that felt comfortable (not knocking them, my foot type must not have been correct). But on a whim, I picked up a pair of Zoom Breath 2K11s last fall and was amazed at how comfortable they were.

Assuming I had finally found a Nike shoe I could wear, I picked up 2 more pair (they were on sale). Then, 2 months later, I noticed this:

Understand that I rotate between 2 pair of shoes, so while this happened over 3 months, I was wearing them every other time I played. Worse is they had no guarantee. For $105 retail (I paid $69), you would think they might last longer than that.

I have 2 more pair to use, but I've relegated them to clay-only in the hopes they will last longer.

I understand that this is only 1 shoe in a line of 10-12 tennis shoes, but it is a high-end shoe, and apparently this was not an isolated incident as the 2K11s were known for bad durability (something I hadn't known when I bought them).

For years I avoided Nike just because I couldn't find anything that felt comfortable (not knocking them, my foot type must not have been correct). But on a whim, I picked up a pair of Zoom Breath 2K11s last fall and was amazed at how comfortable they were.

Assuming I had finally found a Nike shoe I could wear, I picked up 2 more pair (they were on sale). Then, 2 months later, I noticed this:

Understand that I rotate between 2 pair of shoes, so while this happened over 3 months, I was wearing them every other time I played. Worse is they had no guarantee. For $105 retail (I paid $69), you would think they might last longer than that.

I have 2 more pair to use, but I've relegated them to clay-only in the hopes they will last longer.

I understand that this is only 1 shoe in a line of 10-12 tennis shoes, but it is a high-end shoe, and apparently this was not an isolated incident as the 2K11s were known for bad durability (something I hadn't known when I bought them).

My point being I've worn many different types of shoes (Adidas, Lacoste, Wilson, Yonex, Head, etc.) and have yet to see that on any of them after only a couple of months. And, these were worn predominately on indoor courts that haven't been resurfaced in 10 years.

lots of guys on this forum still believe that ONE shoe will last you 2+ years...

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And I am not one of them. Rotating between 2 pair of shoes, I expect ~ 6 months out of the rotation (i.e., 3 months of straight wear). I am by no means graceful on my feet (ala Federer), and could probably stand to lose a few lbs.

However, with the exception of the 2K11s I posted above, all other pairs of shoes have worn out the cushioning before the soles (I can tell because my feet start to hurt). Being as this was my 1st Nike purchase in over 5 years, I was surprised to see that kind of wear on a fairly expensive pair of shoes. I am by no means loyal to any single manufacturer, although my current pair of Head Prestige Pros IIs are surprisingly light & comfy, but doubt I will get another pair of Nike in the near future.

lots of guys on this forum still believe that ONE shoe will last you 2+ years...

my shoes last me 1-3 months, depends on the model

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+1, that is why I always buy shoes based on SWC (That is shoes that are On Sale, have 6 month Warranty and are Comfortable)

None will last more than 3-4 months anyway but it is perfect because I buy 1 pair for the first 3 months, send them for warranty replacement, buy another pair for the next 3 months, send them for warranty replacement and then I have 2 brand new pair of shoes to rotate for the rest of the year which is great for summer because I cannot use the same pair of shoes two days in a row (they get stinky!)

I've given up trying to understand why people do this and usually let these threads die, but this one hit close to home because I'm still peeved that my 2K11s died so quickly. Mostly because I had finally found a pair of Nikes my feet liked.

I've given up trying to understand why people do this and usually let these threads die, but this one hit close to home because I'm still peeved that my 2K11s died so quickly. Mostly because I had finally found a pair of Nikes my feet liked.

My point being I've worn many different types of shoes (Adidas, Lacoste, Wilson, Yonex, Head, etc.) and have yet to see that on any of them after only a couple of months. And, these were worn predominately on indoor courts that haven't been resurfaced in 10 years.

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I play a lot, and on Plexicushion exactly the same spec as the Aussie Open. It's hard to imagine a more abrasive surface. I've had soles wear completely and the toes look nothing close to being that worn.

Judging by how fine the uppers look you seem to be a worse than normal toe dragger. It happens. Maybe you could put some sort of scrape tape on them when they're new. (no, I'm not joking - it could help)

I can't really speak to the Nikes, but can speak about the Babolat Propulse. It is a great shoe, just didn't fit my feet very well (too wide in the forefoot). I am a huge adidas guy (currently loving the Feather 2) but admit the Propulse is a great shoe.

I have owned Nike 2k11, 3.3 ballistics, and now the vapor 9's. I have been happy with quality, comfort, and durability of all of them. BUT I do my research and understand the type of shoe I am buying so I am not someone who gets a shoe without a warranty and expect it to last 6+ months.

My rule is always buy shoes on sale, (if wearing as primary shoe) has 6 month warranty, and is comfortable.

I used to be a Barricade guy but the 6's were so dang narrow I moved over to Nike. Then I got a good deal on some Prince T22's and have fell in love with them. They are cheap <$70, very durable (last longer than barricades), and plenty wide for my clobber toe foot!!!

yes durability sucks, but the vapor 9s are the most comfy shoes around, especially the AO colorway. I prefer the mesh cloth material on the toe box.

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4 months? Consider yourself lucky. I blew through my Vapor 9s in about 3-4 weeks. They felt great during that time but definitely not worth the money. If you start and stop quickly and/or slide at all on hard courts these shoes will be toast very quickly. I would never pay the ridiculous $130 for these shoes. Luckily I have my sources to get them at a "much" lower price. Even at the price I got them at I would be hesitant to get another pair. Actually, I don't think I will get another pair.

I have had much better luck with the Babolat Propulse 2s and 3s. They fit my foot really well and are ready to go right out of the box. The Propulse 2s can be had for $69 on TW and I think that's a great deal on those shoes.

Babolat Propulse 3s are good shoes. They have probably the best outsoles of all the shoes I have tried and offer great fit right out of the box with no break in period. The only downside to them is the forefoot cushioning isn't as good as Nike or Asics.

As far as durability, I guess that is my last criteria with comfort, cushioning, and stability being the top things I look for in a shoe. If you don't play every day, most tennis shoes will last you 6 months.

I played primarily with Adidas for years, and have played both Babolat and Nike. My take...

Babolat - I had a pair of their lower line shoes, the Team All Court III's, and they wore well, but the forefoot really lacked stability. Quality was fine, so was durability, but the forefoot instability, and comments that the Propulse 2 and 3 both suffer the same thing, have kept me from experimenting with Babolat further.

Nike - I'm on my second pair of CB 3.3's, and I really like the shoe. My foot is locked in. They've also been more durable than Barricade 2's or 6's for me, but I think that stems from the only beef I have with the shoe. The tread design is clearly built for wear, and I find Adidas shoes (B2, B6, the CC Genius 1 and 2) to have much better traction with their herringbone pattern.

After this pair of CB 3.3's are worn through, I think I'll avoid Nike's durability shoes. I'm going back to Barricades, probably the B7.

No one in this marketplace is making bad shoes. Some are more durable, and some are a better fit for some players than others. Nike and Babolat make fine products in my eyes, other than the flaws I've identified which are sending me back to Adidas, or perhaps to the latest Lotto offering which is garnering solid feedback. As always, YMMV.